Everything you never thought you'd know about Hellebores

26th November 2023

The beautiful hellebore, so treasured for its sultry flowers that bloom during the bleak midwinter, is actually a native of Greece and Asia Minor, and is part of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.

The genus name Helleborus is directly translated as Food for Helle, helle referring to the Greek goddess Helle, goddess of the Hellespont, the body of water that bridges the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea and boros meaning food.

A more sinister interpretation of the name Helleborus, derives from the Greek elein, to injure, and boros, meaning food, is indicative of the plant's toxic nature.

Like all garden plants, hellebore has its fair share of common names. One such name is the Oracle Rose: In times past, they were used to predict the weather. Villagers would cut 12 stems each year on December 24th, one for each month of the year. The stems were then nominated a month and placed in vases. If the flower opened it was indicative of good weather, while a closed bloom meant poor conditions.